Toy gravity railway



Dec. 9, 1924. I 1,518,893

F. c. BAUER ET AL TOY GRAVITY RAILWAY Filed Feb. 28. 92 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 arm/(5.3 5.

I F/G, 1.

F. C. BAUER ET Al.

TOY GRAVITY RAILWAY Filed Feb. 28 1-924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

ATTORN EYS.

Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNlTED STATES FREDERICK G. BAUER AND CARL BAUER, OF GLENSIDE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOY GRAVITY RAILWAY.

Application filed February 28, 1924. Serial No. 695,852.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, FREDERICK C. BAUER and CARL BAUER, both citizens of the United States, residing at Glenside, county of Montgomery, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Toy Gravity Railway, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention consists of a novel construction in toy railways, which will permit of a simpler and easier mode of operation and thereby afford a more effective means of entertainment and amusement.

Our invention further consists of a novel construction in toy railways, of the general type disclosed in our prior Patents Nos. 1,368,781, February 15, 1921, on toy railway, and 1,472,783, dated November 6, 1923, on toy railway and known as a gravity railway, wherein the weightof the car alone is utilized as the motive power, and whereby the entire structure is so simplifiedas to greatly reduce the cost of manufacture and at the same time produce a more serviceable toy.

For the purpose of illustrating our invention we have shown in the accompanying drawings forinsthereof which are at present preferred by us since it Willgive in practice satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which our invention consists can-be variously arranged and organized and that our invention is not limited to precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout Figure 1 represents a side elevation view of a construction embodying our invention, and showing the general arrangement of the tower, elevator, car and track.

Figure 2 represents asection on line 22 of Figure 1 with the car removed.

Figure 3 represents a side elevation of a portion of a .rail column, illustrating the means for coupling the various sections of the \railway.

Figure 4 represents a plan view of. a coupling clamp.

Figure 5 represents a vertical sectional view of the tower, elevator and car shown in Figure 1, with the elevator at the uppermost point of its travel.

Figure 6 represents a section ofthe roof 9 of the tower taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

.vator tower 6, and. supporting upon their upper and lower levels respectively of the tower 6 are attached the two terminals of a sectional railway track 8, of any desired length or shape, such as a circular, elliptical or spiral shape, so that a car released onto the upper terminal of the track will descend along the path of the track onto the lower level of the elevator tower 6; impelled bythe force of gravity only.

Within the tower 6 is the elevator 9 adapted to travel between the lower and upper levels of the tower; to receive the car 10 at the lower level; to automatically discharge the car 10 at the upper level; and to positively secure the car while conveying the same from the lower to the upper level. These ends are attained by certain novel details of construction in said elevator, to be described hereinafter.

The standards 2, 3, 4 and 5 composing the elevator tower 6, are each composed of a vertical or guide post 11; the inclined bracing post 12 and the intervening web 13; the two posts and the web all being integral and formed of a single piece of sheet metal having its edges rolled into the tubular posts 11 and 12, as shown in Figures 7 and9. On the lower portion of the web 13, we form a lug 14 at a right angle thereto and integral therewith, and having the hole for receiving the screws 16, for securing the standards to the base 1. To provide'additional support for the; standards 2, 3, 4and 5, the lower ends: of the posts 11 extend beyond the lugs 14 and project into" the holes 17 in the base 1, provided therefor.

4 Between the standards2, 3, 4 and 5 is the elevator 9,comprising the horizontal and vertical frame members 18 and 19 respectively; the cross-bars 20 and 21 for supporting thetilting floor 22, the cross bar 23 for limiting the travel of the car 10 in its movement onto the floor 22, as well as limiting the angular movement of the floor 22'when releasing the car onto the upper terminal of the track 8. On the upper part of the elevator 9, we providethe cross bar 24 and the hook or eyelet'25 midway thereof, while on the lower side of the roof we provide the cross bar 26 parallel to 24, and having ithe two anti-friction openings 27 and 28 therethrough, at the center and at one extremity thereof respectively. A flexible cord 29.

passes through the two o peni'ngs i' and '28 as shown in Figure 6, is secured to thehook or eyelet 25, and is then drawn through {the hook or eyelet 30 on the base 1 in vertical alignment with the opening "28; thus providing convenient and effective means .f-for raising the elevator from the lower to the upper level of the tower.

The floor 22 is pivoted at;a pointbet ween the center thereof and the terminals of the rail 8; the pivot being formed by 'two e'yelets 31 projecting from the lower side of the floor and loosely enclosing the cross bar '20. Secured to the center of the cross bar 20 and the two lower horizontal frame members 18 is the fixed stop 32, having-1011c side thereof inclined towards the track "8, as at 33, and the other side thereofsubstantially vertical as shown at '34 in Figures 1 and The floor 22"is provided with the :opening 35 to receive the fixed stop 32 shown an Figures 1 and 2.

The operation of the elevator is as "followsz -The car 10 descending along the track 8 impelled by gravity rides-:onto the floor 22 of the elevator 9 in the position shown "in Figure 1, over the incline of "the fixed stop '32, and is stopped 'bytheihorizontal member 23. The upper ,edge 36 of the fixed stop 32 engages the wheels37 of the car 10, thus preventing anymo-vemen t thereof in the direction of the track. elevator 9 Ibe'aring the :car' 10 is lthen raised, by aid of the flexible connection T29, itolthe upper "level shown in lFiignre 5. reaches this position, the. 'frontcedge of the pivoted floor 22 is engaged ithe'fllorizontal member 39 of the elevator itoi'vver E6, thus tilting the floor 22} into the position shown in Figure .'5,.bring'ingithe 'car."1.()' into a forwardly inclined position and at the same .time bringing wheels 37 clear of the upper edge 36 of the fixed stop 32. "This automatically releases the car onto the upper terminafl of the track 8, starting another cycle of events, which may-"be continued indefinitely by the simple manual operation of raising the ear from the lower to the upper level of the elevator tower.

The cross "bar 40 of the elevator .ffraine serves to prevent the .car fromijuinping the floor 22 when brought to asuddenfstdp in its upward travel upon reaching the limit of its upward travel as shown "inIFigure 5.

The sectional track 8 is supportedupon columns 4C1, consisting of the vertical and horizontalmembers 4:2 and 43 respectively.

there is secured a shoe 4:5.

To each horizontal member there is permw nently secured a coupling clamp 44, while to each end of the respective track sections The clamps i4 consist of a web portion 46 having the reinforcing ribs 47 and the two spiral ends a8 adapted to be snapped over the two adjacent'slhoes of "twosections of the track and retain them in position as shown in Figures 1 and3. v

Itwrill now be apparent that we have devised a new and "useful toy gravity railway, which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of tlieinvention and the above description, and while we have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodimerit thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that this embodiment is susceptible of niodi-fication in various particulars without "departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described our invention what we desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a'toiy gravity railway, a car, atower, an elevator adapted "totrave'l within said tower 'andfto receive said car, said elevator 'having'a 'p'ivota'lly movable floor, and a fixed stop rigidly secured to said elevator, and adapted to permit said car to pass over said stop .in one direction, while retaining the same'in the opposite direction.

2. In "a toy gravity railway, a railway, a car adapted "to travel on said railway, an elevator tower, and an elevator adapted to travel'within said tower and to receive said car at fthe'lowe'r limit of its travel and automatically to v(lischarge the same at the upper l-inii't of it's travel, said elevator having a pivotally movable floor and a fixed-obstruc- 'tion-"siibs'taiitially midway of said floor rigv 'idly securedto said elevator.

3-,I -n a toy gravity railway, a railway, a car adaptedto travel on saidra'ilway, an elevator tower, an elevator adapted totravel .within said tower and to convey said car from "the lower limit of its travel to "the n'pper'limit of its travel, and means for positively retaining said car on said elevator, said means consisting of a fixed stop rigidly secured to said elevator and having the front 'face thereof inclined and the rear face thereof substantially vertical.

4, a toy gravity railway, a railway, a car adapted to "travel on said railway, ,a tower, an elevator adapted to travelwithin said tower, and means'on said, elevator for retaining the car thereon and for subseopening, and having the front face thereof inclined so as to permit said car to pass over it.

5. In a toy gravity railway, an inclined railway, a car adapted to travel on said railway, and means for elevating said car from the lower to the upper terminal of said railway, said means consisting of an elevator having a pivotally movable floor adapted to receive the said car, and a fixed stop rigidly secured to said elevator and adapted to retain said car on said floor, and having the front face thereof inclined so as to permit said car to pass over it.

6. In a toy gravity railway, an inclined railway, a car adapted to travel on said railway, and means for elevating said car from the lower to the upper terminal of said railway, said means consisting of a tower, an elevator adapted to travel within said tower and having a pivotally movable floor, an opening through said floor, a fixed stop rigidly secured to said elevator and extending through said opening, and a stop on the said tower adapted to engage the fore edge of the said floor to limit the upward travel of the elevator and to move said floor into an inclined position.

7. In a toy gravity railway, an inclined railway, a car adapted to travel on said railway, an elevator tower, and an elevator adapted to travel within said tower, said tower comprising a plurality of vertical standards and a roof therefor, each standard comprising a vertical tubular guide post, an inclined tubular bracing post and an intervening web, all integral and formed of a single sheet of metal.

8. In a toy gravity railway, an inclined railway composed of a plurality of track sections, each having a shoe at the respective ends thereof, and a plurality of columns for supporting said railway each having coupling clamps thereon for uniting the several sections of track and securing the same to the columns, said clamp comprising a reinforced body and two spiral clamping ends.

FREDERICK C. BAUER. CARL BAUER. Witnesses:

LEONARD L. KALISH, N. BUSSINGER. 

